James, I have a Liquidamber that is about 30 feet tall, looking exquisite at the moment in my garden. It is pretty heavy clay soil in that area of the garden, the soil has never been improved.
You did my garden years ago in Dulwich. I admire all your work and blogs, by the way.

I have just planted a superb specimen of Liquidamber styraciflua 'Worpleston' in my Garden in West Sussex. The soil type is alkaline and clay, although it is also quite deep and fertile. I have to agree that this is one of the finest trees for Autumn colour and form and should be planted more often as it is actually suprisingly tolerant in all but shallow chalk soils

VP: They will grow with you, they may not have the depth of colour that they get in, say, New england but they will still startle.
Honesty:All trees are good for wildlife: if nothing else they give the birds somewhere to sit down.
Karen: good point. You will find that they are not as free with their fruit over here.
Bee: You must email me and tell me which garden it was. That was a disturbingly long time ago.

I'm much encouraged by the notion that a Liquidamber Styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’ will cope with my garden conditions (chalk rock, so v alkaline, but a deep clay soil on top). I have a large garden & am keen to plant a number of trees to give glorious autumn colour. What other specimens would you recommend?

James, I agree with you this tree is truly magnificent for its autumn colour. I have one in my garden which is now 3 years old and is still in full leaf a blaze of burgundy, red and yellowey orange, which backlit by the late autumn sun takes your breath away. After several hard frosts in Nottinghamshire it is the only tree in my garden that has kept its leaves for so long. I would also sing its praises for its superb corky bark on the older trees which when denude of leaf give the most fabulous structure in the winter garden. This is one of my favorite trees I cannot sing its praises highly enough!

We have just purchased a liquidamber worplesdon but planned to plant it in our small garden about 15 feet away from the house. Comments from some readers about invasive root growth and upshoots are scarey! With talk about undermining house foundations! How dangerous is this tree near our house?

Jean: Not really. All trees have roots but very few undermine foundations. Willows are about the only one that gives trouble and that is because the roots wheedle their way into drains. Go ahead: plant it.

We we recommended the liquidamber by the council who have some oversight over any tree replacement here (Bracknell). And good advice it was, too. Everyone comments upon it - vistors and neighbours alike - in the autumn when it puts on its finery!
We prune it agressively every 3 years and it never fails to return with more foliage than before.
We had fruits for two years but - silly me - I mistook them for an infestation, like those affecting some oaks. The fruits rarely dropped and were on the tree next year, dark brown, hard, and not particularly attractive.
A few roots are breaking the surface which we will have to watch - unchecked, they will damage the lawnmower before too long.
Still, for the only tree we've ever purchased, this is a cracker!

actually I was going to cut down the two liquid ambers on our property (6 acres so no worry about roots ) because they drop their leaves and make a big mess... but lo and behold my bees love the spring flowers and are humming along on there so much l thought there was a new swarm ... so the liquid ambers are there to stay - as it gives the bees a great start in australian spring - like an energy drink the nectar is already turning into honey very early in the season